asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will seek any revision of EEC regulations whereby Irish unemployment benefit can be drawn in any EEC country for three months, but unemployment assistance can not, as this presents a problem for long-term unemployed who may wish to travel abroad to seek employment.
Written Answers. - Unemployment Assistance in EEC.
386.
Schemes of social assistance are specifically excluded from the EEC Regulations on social security and it is for this reason that unemployment assistance is not covered.
The question of having non-contributory benefits such as unemployment assistance covered by EEC Regulations is at present being examined at EEC level. The examination is, however, at a preliminary stage and it is too early as yet to have an indication of the likely outcome.